Press briefing by Chief of main operations in Syria Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov

Starting from September 30, the Russian aviation has performed over 60 sorties on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic to engage over 50 ISIS infrastructural objects. These are command centres, explosives and ammunition depots, communications, mini-plants aimed for production armament for terrorist attacks, training camps of militants.

The strikes have been performed 24 hours a day from the Hmeymim airbase at the full depth of the Syrian territory. It is to be underlined that these efforts resulted in destruction of material and technical basis of terrorists and considerably reduced their combat potential.

Intelligence says that militants are leaving controlled areas. Panic and desertion has started among them. About 600 mercenaries have left their positions and are trying to flee to Europe.

Thus, the Russian air strikes will not only be continued; their intensiveness will be increased.

It is to be mentioned that we have issued notification concerning the start of air operation against ISIS beforehand.

In the morning, on September 30, the American military attaché in Iraq for security Colonel Hadi Petro was one of the first to be notified by General Kuralenko.

Moreover, the foreign colleagues were informed through channels of both Russian Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and were recommended to withdraw all instructors and advisers as well as those people who had been trained with American taxpayers’ money.

It was also recommended to stop flights of aerial vehicles in the action area of the Russian aviation.

By the way, American experts informed us that there was nobody but terrorists in the district.

It is to be reminded that International information centre of Coordination committee has started its work. Everybody who is interested in countering ISIS terrorists have been invited to participate in its work. One of its missions is coordination of actions and any other incidents.

We have openly called for sharing all the useful information concerning the ISIS facilities on the territory of Syria.

It is to be recognized that today this information is received only from colleagues from Iran, Iraq and Syria.